Wolves

Looking to visit Yellowstone late March, April. Have several guidebooks and maps from NPS and believe the road to OLD FAITHFUL might be closed then. Can anyone advise if this is open from either the North or South entrance?

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I live in Montana, I would check the local ranger district on snowpack reports for the season and see if road opening dates may be delayed. I am not sure if they adhere to a strict road opening date, but being government they probably do. The snowpack in our end of the state has been a bit low, not sure about the park down south. The south entry may get more winter action if I recall correctly. I entered from the north when I lived in Billings area and came thru red lodge. The ranger district should have better info if you look them up and make contact directly.

Just a quick note to all readers of this. I have seen it be 90 degrees in August and snow 7 feet that very night. It has happened to me so please all of you visiting, come prepared for all seasons, and don't pet the buffalo. To many people get smashed up against trees trying to get a picture. At least one or two people get killed each year doing this kind of thing, I am not kidding. Stay safe.

The roads from the North Entrance and the West Entrance to Old Faithful are scheduled to open April 16, 2010. The road from the South Entrance is scheduled to open May 14, 2010. Road opening dates are weather dependant. Check, http://www.nps.gov/yell for more information.

The traffic between Grand Teton and Yellowstone is as unpredictable as the weather that time of year. While it'll likely be sunny, you may get the occasional snow shower. Similarly, you're just as likely to not encounter another car as you are to get in a bear or bison jam. Relax, slow down and enjoy the view.

In order to get to the south entrance, you'll need to first pass through Grand Teton National Park. The park entry fee allows you to spend a week in BOTH parks for $25. If you plan to visit multiple parks in the next month, consider investing in a America The Beautiful Federal Lands Pass, which offers unlimited visitation to all parks for you and your entire family (if you are in the same car) for $80. If you are a senior citizen, the you can purchase a senior pass for $10, which allows you to enter parks at no additional cost for the remainder of your life. All are great deals!

Denali National Park is deep in the heart of Alaska's bear country. It is almost impossible to drive through the park without seeing a bear. One of your best bets to see a bear is take one of the many bus tours offered by the park. These tours afford visitors the chance to become familiar with the park and surrounding areas. Denali is a largely pristine, undeveloped park. A few years ago a conscious decision was made to not develop its hiking trails.

Bears are most often found near where they feed. They are most often seen in many of the berry patches in the park.

During the summer it is very important to follow proper safety precautions. Park Rangers can alert you to proper procedures to avoid injuries in bear country. Bears can be particularly hostile during this time of year while they are raising their young. Always remember, bears are wild and if startled can be deadly.

Mosquito season in Yellowstone extends from May through August. In general, mosquito populations are most intense in June. There are fewer biting bugs in September, but you should always be prepared with bug spray, long-sleeved clothing, long pants and a hat.

Ranger-guided programs usually extend through the end of September. You can view program schedules here.

Wyoming’s wolf population is thriving and growing in most of the state, despite continuing declines among Yellowstone National Park wolves, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist says.
Wyoming’s wolf population – animals in the Equality State whose home ranges are outside Yellowstone – grew from 178 animals, 30 packs ...
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A dozen tourists in parkas huddle around wolf researcher Colby Anton in the northern range of the park, an area famous for gray wolves, to catch a glimpse of the images on his digital camera.
The wolf watchers have become a familiar scene since the animals were reintroduced into the ...
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doctorboo

Was wolf #527 that was killed, the same wolf we watched in the Lamar Valley in August?

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If you know you were watching Wolf 527, then yes, it was the same one. Otherwise, it's hard to say. Yellowstone is home to more than 100 wolves in 12 packs. Wolf 527 was an alpha female that helped form the park's Cottonwood Pack. Before she, her mate — the pack’s alpha male — and her daughter were shot this month, wolf 527 was wearing a radio collar that enabled researchers to track and study her and her pack.

Yellowstone National Park's scientific research on wolves got
caught in the crossfire of Montana's inaugural wolf season when
hunters killed two collared wolves just north of the park earlier
this month.
As the smoke has cleared, federal wolf officials are at odds
over the effect of the shootings and Montana's game managers are
re-examining how ...
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Wolf 527 was a survivor. She lived through a rival pack's crippling
12-day siege of her den. When another pair of wolves laid down stakes
in her territory, she killed the mother and picked off the pups while
the invader's mate howled nearby in frustration and fury.
She was not a charmer. But ...
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Yellowstone National Park Lodges will offer “Lodging & Learning” packages this winter in Yellowstone National Park. The park’s winter season begins Dec. 18, 2009 with the opening of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel opens Dec. 21, 2009. The lodges provide the only wintertime accommodations within ...
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